Seal assembly



B. c. BREDENBECK 2,390,201

SEAL AS S EMBLY Filed Oct. 16, 1944 /6 NMi-N Z DE BZ Z C. Bredenbeck www Patented Dec. 4, 1945 2,330,201 SEAL ASSEMBLY am o. Bredenbeek, Parma, ohio, signor to Thompson Products, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application October 16, 1944, Serial No. 558,818

7 Claims.

Specifically, the invention deals with slidable seal assemblies having end faces for sealing en- .gagement with movable valve members and equipped with a exible diaphragm to prevent leakage between the seal and the member in which it is slidably mounted.

The invention will be hereinafter specifically described in connection' with a coupling or valve assembly embodying a ported casing and a rotatable valve part or plug for selectively opening and closing the port. It should be'understood, however, that the seals of this invention are generally useful in many other devices. v

Couplings of the type refered to areused in many installations where vibration is encountered tending to cause the couplings to leak. For example, quick disconnect couplings for airplanes are frequently subjected to vibratory` movements that so shake the couplings that the seals are no longer eiiicient, especially at very low temperatures where resiliency of plastic materials used in the seals, such as synthetic rubber and the like, is materially decreased.

The seals of this invention are highly effective throughout a wide temperature range, being movable at low temperatures to take up wear and contraction and remaining non-tacky at elevated temperatures to permit smooth movement of the valve parts.

The seals of this invention need not be subjected to high loads to maintain their efficiency throughout a wide temperature range, and heretofore commonly encountered breakaway resistance to valve movement is eliminated.

An object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a seal assembly which is very eicient throughout a wide temperature range even when subjected to very low loads.

A further object of the invention is to provide a seal assembly for couplings, valves, and the like fluid iiow control devices which includes a flexible diaphragm member for sealing a slidable assembly to the part in which it is slidably mounted without interfering with sliding movements of the assembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide a seal for mounting in-the port of a valve to seal the plug of the valve with a iiexible diaphragm to eliminate leakage around the seal.`

Another object of the invention isto provide a seal for a coupling or valve which is slidably mounted in the port of a casing and has an end face sealingly engaging the plug of the valve or coupling, together with an opposed end face coacting through a flexible diaphragm with the casing to be sealingly connected to the casing.

A specific object of the invention is to provide a spring-pressed slidable seal assembly with a flexible sealing ring having inner and outer peripheral portions respectively clamped to the slidable seal assembly and to the member in which the seal assembly slides.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the annexed sheet of drawings which, by way of preferred examples only. illustrate two embodiments of the invention.

On the drawingz' Figure 1 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken through a iiuid-ow control device equipped with a seal according to this invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 1 but illustrating a rearwardly shifted position .for the seal.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but illustrating a forwardly shifted position for the seal.

Figure 4 is an exploded vertical cross-sectional view of the seal parts and the ported member in which the parts are mounted.

Figure 5 is a'view similar to Figure l, but illustrating a modified type of spring for the seal assembly.

As shown on the drawing:

In Figure 1, the reference numeral I0 designates a valve or couple casing. The casing i0 has a laterally projecting boss portion lua having a cylindrical bore I0b therethrough providing a port. A counterbore i0c is provided at the outer end of the bore Illb to cooperate with the bore IUb for defining a shoulder Id.

A valve or plug member l I is rotatably mounted in the casing I0 and has a passage lla therein adapted to register with the port of the casi ing. The valve Il also has a wall llb adapted to close the port of the casing.

In accordance with this invention a seal assembly Vis mounted in the port provided by the boss portion Illa of the casing I0 for preventing leakage so that no iiuid flow will occur when the wall portion lib of the plug closes the port, and so that all of the duid fiow will be through the port and passage when the passage Ila of the plug is in registration with the port.

The seal assembly of this invention includes a rigid retainer sleeve l2 slidably mounted in the bore lub. This sleeve has a rounded and dished end face I2a covered with resilient material i3 auch as rubber or the like which is directly vulcanized to the end face I2a. The cover I3 has a rounded contour like the end face I 2a and sealingly engages the wall IIb of the plug II.

. The retainer sleeve I2 has a ilat end iace I2b at the end thereof opposite the curved end I2a thereof. A rubber diaphragm ring I4 is seated over the end face I2b and has an inner peripheral bead I4a engaging the end face |212 adjacent the inner end thereof. The diaphragm ring I4 also has an outer peripheral bead I 4b seated on the shoulder Illdof the casing part Ilia. 'I'he beads I4a and I 4b serve to space the main web of the diaphragm ring I4 away from the end face IIb so as to provide a space I5 between the end face |2b and the ring.

A rigid follower ring I 8 has a collar portion I6a fitting within.the rubber ring I4 and retainer sleeve I2 together with an outturned flange ISb overlying the diaphragm ring I4. The collar portion Ia has a snug sliding fit with the inner face of the retainer sleeve I2.

A corrugated spring washer I1 acts on the follower IB. This corrugated spring washer I1 is v,loaded by a locking ring I8 which has a sliding t in the counterbore Ilic of the housing part Ilia. rIfhis locking ring I8 has an inner face portion I8a bottoming the washer I'I together with a skirt or gland portion I8b extending inwardly from the face lia to engage the outer peripheral portion of the diaphragm ring I4.

Screws I9 are threaded into the end of the housing part I a and have heads overlying the retainer ring I8 to secure the retainer ring in.

position in the housing part Illa. The retainer ring can be provided with notches I8c in its outer face to receive the screw heads.

'I'he skirt I8b of the locking ring I 8 clamps the outer peripheral portion of the diaphragm I4 against the shoulder IUd.- The locking ring also loads the corrugated spring washer I'I and causes it to press the follower ring IB for sealingly clamping the inner peripheral portion of the diaphragm on the end face |2b of the retainer sleeve. The spring washer Il also urges the retainer sleeve I2 in a direction toward the plug Il so that the resilient cover on the end face I 2a of the sleeve I2 will be maintained in sealing engagement with the plug.

The diaphragm I4 prevents leakage around the retainer sleeve I2 and sealingly connects this sleeve to the housing part I 0a.

As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the diaphragm I4 does not interfere with sliding movement of the retainerl sleeve I2 in the bore Ib since its inner peripheral portion can readily deflect relative to its iixeclly clamped outer peripheral portion. The space l between the beads oi' the ring I4, as shown in Figure 2. accommodates rearward sliding movement of the sleeve l2 outwardly in the counterbore .IIlb. Such a position can be encountered. for example, when the coating I3 on the sleeve I2 is new andrelatively thick.

As shown in Figure 3, the diaphragm i4 also permits a free forward movement of the retainer sleeve I2 as, for example, when the coating I3 on the end face of this retainer sleeve becomes thin due to wear.

The flexing of the diaphragm ring I4 requires only a minimum amount of spring pressure, and does not in any way interfere with sliding movement of the sleeve. As a result, the spring loads on the sleeve can be quite slight and breakaway resistance to rotation' of the plug l2 in the valve housing is materially reduced. As illustrated in Figure 4, the parts are readily assembled by merely dropping the same into the bore and counterbore of the housing part lha.

In the embodiment of th'e invention shown in Figure 5, parts identical with parts described in connection with Figures 1 to 4 have been marked with the same reference numerals. In Figure 5, however, the corrugated spring washer I1 is replaced with a coil spring 20. The space between the flange IGb of the follower ring IB and the face I8a of the locking ring I8 will accommodate either a spring washer or a coil spring.

The seals of this inventiondo not impede flow through the port since the only part of the seal that projects into the port is the collar ISa of the pressing follower I8 and, if desired, this collar could be seated in a counterbore provided at the rear end of the inner face of the follower l2.

IFrom the above descriptions it should be understood that the invention provides a slidable seal assembly having a sealing end face and equipped with a exible diaphragm to sealingly connect the assembly with a Dart in which it is slidably mounted without interfering with free sliding movements of the assembly. The diaphragm arrangement of this invention remains quite flexible even at low temperatures and will eiliciently operate throughout a wide temperature range.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and itis, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A seal assembly for valves and the like comprising a retainer sleeve having a sealing end face. a diaphragm having an inner peripheral portion engaging the end face of the retainer sleeve opposite the sealingV end facethereof, a follower ring having a collar portion fitting within the diaphragm and retainer sleeve together with an outturned flange portion for overlying the diaphragm, spring means pressing said follower ring to urge the sealing end face of the retainer sleeve against the part to be sealed, and means for sealingly clamping the outer peripheral 'portion of the diaphragm to a part in which said retainer sleeve is slidably mounted.

2. A seal assembly comprising a retainer sleeve having a sealing end face in one end thereof and Jan opposed end face at the other end thereof, a

diaphragm ring overlying said opposed end face, a follower ring having a collar portion projecting through said diaphragm ring and a ange portion for overlying said diaphragm ring, spring means acting on said follower ring to sealingly clamp the inner peripheral portion of the diaphragm on the opposed end face oi the retainer sleeveI and means for sealingly clamping the outer peripheral portion of the diaphragm.

3. A seal assembly comprising a rigid retainer sleeve having a sealing end face and an opposed end face, a flexible diaphragm overlying said opposed end face, said flexible diaphragm having inner and outer peripheral beads thereon, said inner bead engaging said opposed end face and said outer bead projecting outwardly beyond the retainer sleeve, a rigid follower ring overlying the inner peripheral portion of the diaphragm ring, means for engaging the, outer peripheral portion of said diaphragm ring to sealingly clamp the outer bead on a part slidably receiving the retainer sleeve, and a spring bottomed on said casing having a port dened by a cylindrical bore and a counterbore at the outer end of the cylindrical'bore coacting therewith to define an internal shoulder together with a valve member in the casing for opening and closing the port, a cylindrical metal retainer sleeve slidably mounted on said bore having a rounded end face adjacent said valve member, a resilient covering bonded to said rounded end face. providing a seal for engaging said valve member, said sleeve having a A flat end face opposite said rounded end face norseated on the end face of the sleeve opposite the sealing end face thereof and projecting radially outward beyond the sleeve, a follower ring having a collar portion projecting through the diaphragm ring into the retainer sleeve together with an outturned flange portion overlying a portion of the diaphragm ring, a spring acting on said follower ring, and a locking ring secured to said casing having an end face bottoming the spring and a skirt portion clamping the outer peripheral portion of the diaphragm to the casing.

5. In a iiuid fiow control device including a ported member having a counterbore providing an internal shoulder and a shiftable member coacting with the port of the ported member, a seal assembly comprising a rigid retainer sleeve slidably mounted in the port of said member and having a sealing end face for engaging said shiftable member together with an opposed end face substantially aligned with the shoulder in said ported member, a flexible diaphragm ring having an inner peripheral bead seated on the inner peripheral portion of said opposed end face and coacting to normally hold the main body of the ring away from said opposed end face, said diaphragm lring projecting radially beyond the retainer sleeve into said counterbore and having an outer peripheral bead bottomed on said shoulder,

a follower ring having a collar projecting through ner marginal portion oi.' said diaphragm ring, a

locking ring seated in said counterborerhaving a skirt portion engaging the outer' peripheral portion of said diaphragm ring to sealingly clamp the outer bead of said ring on said shoulder, and a spring within said skirt portion of the locking ring bottomed on said locking ring and acting on said follower ring to urge the retainer sleeve 'toward the shiftable member, said inner and outer beads on the diaphragm ring holding the main body of the diaphragm ring away from the retainer sleeve to accommodate free flexing of the diaphragm ring.

6. In a iluid ow control device including a mally lying adjacent said shoulder, a rubber diaphragm ring having inner and outer marginal vbeads respectively seated on the iiat end face of the sleeve and on the shoulder of the casing, said beads cooperating to provide a space between the main portion of the ring and the flat end face of the sleeve, a follower ring having a collar projecting through said diaphragm ring into said sleeve together with an outturned iiange overlying the inner portion only of said sleeve, a locking ring seated in said counterbore having a peripheral skirt acting on the outer portion of the diaphragm ring to sealingly clamp the outer bead thereof on said shoulder, said locking ring having an end face portion within said skirt spaced from the outturned iiange of said follower ring, and a corrugated spring washer compressed between the outturned flange of the follower ring and said y face portion of the locking ring for urging the resilient coating on the rounded end face of the retainer sleeve into sealing relation with said valve member.

'7. In a iiuid flow control device embodying a casing having a port deiined by a cylindrical bore and equipped with a counterbore at the outer end portion thereof coacting therewith to provide an internal shoulder,la plug shiftably mounted in said casing to open and close said port, a metal retainer sleeve slidably mounted in said bore having a first end face adjacent said plug anda second end face adjacent said shoulder, resilient means on said iirst end face sealingly engaging said plug, a flexible diaphragm member having inner and outer marginal beads respectively seated on sai'd second end face and said shoulder, a follower ring overlying a portion of said diaphragm, a locking ring in said counterbore clamping said outer marginal bead into sealing engagement with said shoulder, and a coil spring bottomed on said locking ring and acting on said` follower ring to sealingly clamp the inner bead of the diaphragm on said second end face oi' the retainer sleeve while urging the retainer sleeve toward the plug.

BILL C. BREDENBECK. 

